The Union Government on 8 January 2016 allowed the conduct of the traditional bull-taming sports, Jallikattu, in Tamil Nadu.

The ban on the sports was lifted few days before the traditional harvest festival will begin in Tamil Nadu. Jallikattu is celebrated around pongal in southern state of Tamil Nadu.

Notification Issued by MoEF
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued a gazette notification with regard to holding traditional sports that use bulls as performing animals including Jallikattu across India.

The notification said that bulls can be exhibited and trained as performing animal at different events of different states as per the customs or tradition of any community.

The events that use bulls as performing animals are Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu and bullock cart races in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana, Kerala and Gujarat. But these events are allowed only in those districts where it is being traditionally held annually but with the permission of district collector or the district magistrate.

The notification also specifies that bullock cart race shall be organised on a proper track, which shall not exceed two kilometers. On the other hand, in case of Jallikattu, the moment the bull leaves the enclosure it shall be tamed within a radial distance of 15 metre.

Comment
Surely, the move of the Union MoEF may please people of states where such events are held, but at the same time it goes against the Supreme Court’s May 2014 direction.

On 7 May 2014, the Supreme Court banned use of bulls for Jallikattu (bull-fighting) events or bullock-cart races across the country. In its verdict it said that even bulls have rights against torture and hoped that the parliament would elevate the rights of animals to that of constitutional rights.